He Can't Hyde
by Faber Wolffe
Summary: COMPLETE The Marauders are in the play Jekyll and Hyde. MWPP time period in modern times, slighty weird concept but the questions about duality are worth the time screwup.
1. Auditions

Chapter 1 "Auditions"

            "No, no, no!"  Sirius yelled hotly at James.  "God, man, can you carry a tune in a bucket?"

            James shook his head and grinned, "Nope.  I'm just doing this cause you and Lil are."  James gave Lily a rakish wink.

            Remus laughed.

            Sirius sighed out of pure exasperation.  

Last week after years of debate a group of sixth and seventh year Hufflepuffs had formed a Muggle Drama club and were going to do a performance of Jekyll and Hyde.  The auditions were open to everyone, and nearly everyone was going to audition.  However the auditions were arranged so that the first one required you to sing a song in a group.  Most people chose duets, but Sirius, never one to be out done, wanted to sing the part of John in "His Work and Nothing More" which required four parts total.  Lily volunteered to take the part of Lisa leaving James as Jekyll and Peter as Lisa's father, even though he only wanted to work the lights.  Remus had insisted that he had horrible stage fright, but he did listen to the group and give out pointers.  He had actually taken a nearly obsessive interest in the play, listening to the soundtrack that Sirius had nicked any time he could from doing homework to before he fell asleep at night.  Sirius often had to pry the discs away from him in order to listen to the songs himself.  He still had not decided on which song he wanted to do if he got called back for the part of Jekyll.

            However, Sirius had a definite point.  James could not sing any better than a banshee, and in fact sounded a good deal worse, considering you weren't simply put out of your misery from hearing it unlike a banshee's scream.

            Peter yawned loudly.

            Rubbing his temples and looking at his watch Sirius gave it up.  "Tomorrow's Friday."

            "It _is _Friday, it's past midnight," Remus interjected.

            "Shut up, bookworm," Sirius snapped, extremely tired and getting a sharp headache from the ringing left in his ears by James's supposed singing.  "How about we just work on it tomorrow night?"

            "Fine by me," Lily said.

            James shook his head.  "I've got Quidditch practice."

            "Oh, don't you always?" Sirius added.  "After Quidditch practice then, I guess we'll just have to get Nearly Headless Nick to sing your part until you're here."

            Peter snickered at that image.  He highly doubted the old ghost would be willing to sing for them.

            Remus picked up the discs and went upstairs.  By the time the other boys had reached the room he had already put on the headphones and was humming along with the tune that the entire group recognized as "Bitch, Bitch, Bitch."

            The other three talked for a while and Remus fiddled with the buttons on the player, finally figuring out how to put a song on repeat.  He continued listening, a grave expression on his already shadowed face.  The full moon was approaching for that Sunday.  Soon he was asleep.

            Peter looked at him.  "He's going to run those batteries down."

            Sirius stood and took the head phones off of Remus and untangled the cord, trying very hard to not wake him up.  He lifted the headphones to his own ears.

            "What was he listening too so-o-o-O-o much?" James asked mid-yawn.

            Sirius pressed stop and looked James in the eyes, even though James looked on the brink of falling asleep.

            "'No One Must Ever Know.'"

            James looked confused.  "I don't remember that one.  Why do you look so serious?"

            Sirius smiled slightly at the old joke, but not completely.  "Because I _am _serious.  Listen."

            James put on the headphones even as his eyes were closing against his will.

_"In a battle of wills that I cannot survive, _

_will I wind up as me or as Hyde?…_

_Have I lost my mind, did I loose the day?_

_Am I a good man?_

_Am I a mad man?_

_There's such a fine line,_

_between good man and a…"_

            It was well past dark when Sirius, James, Peter and Lily met Friday night.  But it didn't look like they'd be starting anytime soon.

            "Where's the soundtrack?" Sirius asked.

            "I think I saw Remus with it when he was doing his homework," Lily said.

            "Well, where is it _now?_" Sirius demanded.

            "I don't know!" Lily said.  "Since when am I your mother?  I don't keep track of your stuff!"

            Peter finally spoke up.  "He said he was going to go take a shower."

            Sirius stood.  "Then I'm just going to go ask him where it is!"

            And Sirius marched off.

            As he entered the huge shower room he tried to figure out where Remus was.  It was so steamy that it was hard to tell.  However, he could hear the sound of the song "Confrontation" coming from the back.

            Sirius shook his head and thought, 'God, he even listens to it in the _shower."_ But at the same time something was different about the music.  Sirius blamed the steam and tiled floors as he approached the sound of the music, Hyde and Jekyll's voice changing.

            _"I'm what you face when you face in the mirror, long as you live I will still be here!" "All that you are is the end of a nightmare all that you are is a dying scream, after tonight, I will end this demondry." "This is not a dream my friend and it will never end.  This one is the nightmare that goes on. Hyde is here to stay no matter what you may pretend and he'll flourish long after you're gone!" _

            Sirius approached the stall but before demanding from Remus the soundtrack he tried to listen closely, just trying to figure out what the difference was that he couldn't put his finger on.  And then, as the finale approached it struck him like lightening.

            _"I'll live inside you forever!" "No!" "With Satan himself by my side!" "Noo!" "And I know that now and forever they'll never be able to separate Jekyll from Hyde!" "Can't you see? Its over now, its time to die." "No, not I." "Only you.  If I die you die too."  "You'll die in me, I'll **be** you!" "Damn you, Hyde, leave me be!"  "Can't you see?  You **are** me!"  "Noo! Deep in side…" "I am you!  You are Hyde!"  "No never." "Yes forever!" "God, damn you, Hyde! Take all your evil deeds and rot in Hell!" "I'll see you there Jekyll!"_

There was no music in the background.

            Sirius stood shocked as he heard the water turn off.

            Remus stepped out, light brown hair sopping wet and towel around his thin waist, and jumped upon seeing Sirius.  He hurriedly grabbed for his shirt, trying without success to hide the scars running down his arms and chest from the full moon nights he had been left alone.

            Sirius was still shocked.  "That was you singing?!"

            Remus smiled sheepishly.  "Heh, at least I didn't crack any mirrors."

            "Remus!  That… It was bloody brilliant.  Damn!  I didn't know you could sing like that!  With the different voices for Hyde and Jekyll…"  

Remus looked significantly at Sirius.  "My I please get dressed before we continue this conversation?"

"Huh… What?  Oh!"  Sirius turned red.  "Yea… I'll be outside."

"Thank you."

Sirius waited what seemed an eternity before Remus walked outside, his shirt still sticking to him and hair still soaked.  He shook his head in a very dog-like fashion, showering Sirius with droplets.

"Hey!"

Remus grinned at him and began to walk towards Gryffindor common room.

"Hang on!" Sirius ran and caught up.  "Don't think you're walking away that easily.  You can sing!  Damn it!  You sing better than the guy on the bloody CD!"

Remus's gaunt cheeks flushed red.

"Oh, come on!  You know you do!  Moony, you have to try out!"

"Sirius, I can't…"

"Oh yes you can.  And you will too, unless you want those lovely pictures of what your little sister made you wear when you were playing dress up this summer to be all over the scho…"

"Remind me to never invite you over to my house ever again," Remus mumbled shaking his head.

"So, you'll try out?"

"Sirius, do you remember when the play is?"

"Sometime in December."

"Third week of December to be precise.  Sirius, that's the week of the full moon.  If they schedule a performance then…"  Remus shrugged, letting the sentence trail off.

"Rem, Dumbledore can work around that."

Remus shook his head.

"I don't care if I have to put Imperio on you.  You. Are. Going. To. Try. Out.  Or I'm not being serious!"

Remus couldn't help but smile.  "You know that stopped being funny a long time ago."

"Then why are you smiling?"

"Because even if you are a stupid git, you still somehow manage to get your way."

"Hey, what can I say?  I'm Sirius Black!"

            However despite Sirius's insistence, when it was time to audition it was a very weak-kneed Remus who was looking over his lyrics as others tried out.  

            The teachers sat in the seats in the audience near the front taking down notes on each performance.  The people who had just auditioned stayed in the stage wings to watch the other performances.  The ones who had not preformed yet sat in the back rows of the Great Hall turned auditorium.  

Several duets were preformed by a wide range of people, including a pair of hopeful third years, who had little hope but to be extras and stagehands.  As the next group mounted the stage though Remus saw Sirius's lip curl out of the corner of his eye.  Looking on the stage he suddenly saw why.  Rosheir, Malfoy, Wilkes, Lestrange and his what's-her-face girlfriend, and finally Snape himself were mounting the stage in full costume.

            Lily shook her head.  "Do they realize that it's a Muggle play?"

            "They don't care, they just want some of the spotlight," Remus commented. 

            "God, Lucius thinks he's got a chance as Jekyll," Sirius smirked.  "Let's just see what happens when he hears you, Rem.  It'll knock him dead, hopefully."

            Lily snickered.  "James's voice would be better for that."

Remus smiled as Sirius and Peter tried to keep from cracking up, rather unsuccessfully and Lily glared at them to be quiet.

"I'll tell Jamie-boy you said that," Sirius threatened.

            The group on stage however started to sing, "Board of Governors."

            "Ph, typical.  Snape's singing Stride's part.  He fits it, but damn it, if he doesn't do something about that hair the people in the front row are going to be blinded by the glare," Sirius commented.

            Peter snickered and Remus shook with contained laughter.  Lily punched Sirius to make him shut up.

            Watching the group of sixth and seventh year students Remus could not help but start to feel nervous again.  They were good, and it was a well-known fact that they had been practicing for quite a while.  Remus had been practicing, with the group and intentions to try out, for two days.  Last night had been a full moon and he wasn't sure if his still somewhat hoarse voice would be able to hit the higher notes.

            Lily nudged Remus and whispered.  "Give me the edge of your cloak."

            Without protest Remus handed her the corner of his cloak.  Lily pulled out her wand and with a few well-chosen words charmed the clothes, before his very eyes Remus watched in shock as his entire outfit changed from black school robes to a brown suit, perfect for the distinguished Dr. Henry Jykell.

            "Do that to my robes!" Sirius hissed.

            Thus, as the four approached the stage for their turn, they too were in full costume, Sirius whispering encouragement and tips to the paler by the second Remus.

            "Just _be Jekyll._ Okay?  Convince yourself that you are him.  You'll do fine.  If worst comes to worst I'll just tell McGonagall and Dumbledore to come listen to you in the shower."

            Remus smiled somewhat.

            "And remember if you get nervous, just picture the audience in their underwear… well… not all of them.  Put Snape in a chicken suit."

            Remus snorted and tried to relax.

            Then the music started.

            And then a transformation unlike any magic occurred.  Quiet, meek Remus, became Jekyll.

            From off stage, the girls stared.

            From the audience, the teachers stared and then smiled as they wrote down comments on their clipboards for names of students who needed to come back for callbacks.

            And from the shadows, Snape glared.


	2. Callbacks

A/N: Ha!  I fixed the coding problem… that was annoying my one serious reviewer and me. (thanks!  Oh and a note to "Peeves" who hijacked my name the other day ::glare:: I do have a scene planned for you in another chapter.  Thankies to all my Beta readers)  Just a few notes on my perception of the teenage Marauders: since JKR never says what color Remus's eyes are I have decided to make them the color that I've always pictured them (gray).  I also took the liberty of saying that Remus was Muggle-born (although there are others in his family with magical talent, also he is possibly Catholic), Peter half and half, and James and Sirius both pure bloods.  That's all I have to say.  _Please, please, R/R!!!!_

Chapter 2 "Callbacks"

            "Ha, ha!  I told you, you'd get it!" Sirius yelled slapping Remus hard on the back Tuesday morning as a huge group of students congregated in front of the list of people who made it to callbacks.

            "Sirius, I made it to callbacks, not to Broadway…"

            "Whatever!  Same differen…" Sirius paused, "What's Broadway?"

            Remus and Peter rolled their eyes as Lily tried to explain, sitting down beside James.

            "So… How many of you are going to call backs?" James asked.

            Everyone but Peter raised their hands.  Peter smiled, embarrassed.  "I just wanted to be a stage hand anyway," he commented.

            "I don't know what I'm going to sing for the call backs," Sirius griped.

            Peter looked confused, "I thought you said you were going to sing "I Need to Know."

            Sirius shook his head.  "We're supposed to sing two songs."  He held up two fingers to emphasis this point.  "What are you singing, Lil?"

            Lily smiled wickedly.  "It'll be a surprise."

            "Oh, you're no fun," Sirius teased as James tried to pry the information out of the obstinate Lily.  "What about you, Rem?"

            Remus shook his head.  "I've got an idea but I'm not sure."  Running his fingers through his golden-brown hair, which was in need of a cut, he paused.  "Do you think I should grow my hair out?"

            James and Peter looked at Remus oddly.

            Sirius grinned and started going off on how he had been considering the exact same thing.

            "Considering?" Lily and Remus asked, indicating Sirius's nearly shoulder length locks.

            Sirius shook his head.  "It's not grown out 'til I can fit it all into a dogtail."

            "Ponytail," Lily corrected.

            Sirius glared, "I'm no pony."

            "Well… whatever you are you and Rem need to get a move on choosing a song.  The comebacks are Friday.  I chose mine out before I even chose a group song."

            "Oh, shut up, over achiever," Sirius teased.

            Remus though was lost in thought.  He knew what songs he wanted to perform, the question was if he would have the courage to let the world meet Edward Hyde.

            Tuesday afternoon the group of seventh year Gryffindors walked into their Defense Against the Dark Arts class.  There they were greeted with a rather bizarre site.  Their teacher was wearing, not regular robes but Muggle clothes and was shoving papers hurriedly into her briefcase.  Looking up as the students took their seats, not sure what else to do, she smiled apologetically.

            Looking at her class she announced.  "I'm sorry to do this but I have to leave.  My sister has just owled me, and apparently my mother has taken quite ill."

            She turned to the board and quickly wrote some directions.

            "Please, read these pages and do this homework.  I would recommend you go ahead and do this in class.  Professor McGonagall will be checking in periodically to make sure that you're somewhat on task, although I expect that the Head Boy and Girl should be able to handle that.  I'll hopefully be back in a few days."  With that and amid the flurry of well wishes the professor walked out.

            Remus and Lily had already flipped open their books.  Remus groaned.

            "What is it, Moony?" James asked concerned.

            "Open your book," Lily indicated.

            James, Sirius, and Peter did so.

            "Oh…"

            There in the scripted letters was printed clearly "Chapter 28, Werewolves".

            They had studied this topic before and it was quite obvious how Remus felt on the subject.  Even if he did earn the best grades on the essays and tests he lost points considerably on class participation, preferring to chew his quill pen until it was useless for writing rather than actually taking notes with it.  The class would show horrible prejudices and misinformation, and one year a teacher had the gall to ask Remus if he wanted to talk about the subject with the class.  Most fortunately this question was poised in private, and the teacher left the next year.

            Flipping several pages forward, Remus (along with Sirius and James) opted to skip reading the chapter and simply answer the questions at the end of the lesson.  Actually, Remus and James opted to answer the questions; Sirius began to take his ink and stain a fake tattoo onto the back of his hand and wrist, often referring to what appeared to be a page ripped from his Astrology book.  

This earned him a glare from Lily but she said nothing, as she checked with the rest of the class to make sure that they weren't going to try and blow up something, although she had the suspicion that it would more than likely be the boys sitting next to her that would try a stunt like that.  She soon saw that this supervision was pointless.  The class was surprisingly on task despite conversations that were held between people as they read or answered questions.

Soon the conversations become audible across the room.

"I thought there was another way to become a werewolf, not just a bites and inherited curses."

"What else is there?"

"I thought I read somewhere that if you sold your soul…"

"Rubbish Muggle legend. There's no proof."

"But still it seems plausible, doesn't it?"

The eyes of the Mauraders and Lily were discreetly focused on Remus, whose pale cheeks were flushed and his shoulders tense, trying to focus entirely on his paper, staring at it with a look that could have ignited it.

"I mean, if they kill, they might as well have sold their soul right?"

Remus's quill jerked, splotching the paper with ink.  He pulled out his wand and muttered a cleaning spell to get rid of the quickly spreading stains.

"I hear that they're supposed to have horrible tempers, they even look wolfish."

"Yea!  I think I saw one last Hogsmeade visit!  Remember?  That bloke with all the hair, blackest hair I've ever seen, and his eyes were the weirdest shade of green-blue…"

Remus snorted.  The last Hogsmeade visit had been _on_ the full moon.  No werewolf would have been out.

"Heh, just shake that silver cross you wear at him and you shouldn't have a problem, Rob."

Remus bolted.  The conversations fell silent and Sirius and James jumped up after him, trying to do damage control.

"Tell McGonagall that we'll be back!" James yelled.

"He's sick!" Sirius added as a cover, and judging by the pallor on his friend's face he had seen as he left Sirius thought that that might not be an entire lie.

Peter and Lily stayed behind; no doubt to tell McGonagall that Remus must have come down with a stomach virus. 

Sirius and James only caught up to their friend in the boy's bathroom, which, luckily, was empty.

Remus was clutching the counter, knuckles white, and his face gray.  His steel-colored eyes appeared to shine oddly and there was a slightly bloodshot look to them.

"Remus…" Sirius ventured, not sure what to say.

To his shock, Remus did the last thing that neither Sirius nor James was prepared for.  He laughed, mirthlessly, and began to laugh harder as he leaned against the counter, tears beginning to leak from his eyes.

Remus calmed himself somewhat.  "It's so ironic.  It's so bloody ironic."  And reaching under his robes he pulled out a chain that glinted as light played off the silver metals.  He laughed again.  "Patron of animals, and patron of hopeless causes.  Saint Francis and Saint Jude."

"Remus, you can't let what they said back there get to you," James began.

"Oh it's not that!" Remus suddenly became quite sober, and Sirius began to become disquieted by the quick switches that Remus was making, questioning if Remus could have a temporary lapse in sanity.  "No, not what they said… well… partially…"  He fiddled with the metals, not looking at either of his friends, staring into nothing.  "You know how I… how I screamed last night in my sleep and wouldn't tell you why?"

Both boys nodded.

"I had a nightmare, not like the usual ones with the transformation or the cheep werewolf movie, and no Sirius not the one with the blonde and the leash," he added a ghost of a smile flickering across his face.

Sirius tried to smile back.  It was a long-standing joke between them, that both had refused to explain to anyone.

James shook his head and muttered, "Canines."

"But, I had transformed and you both were with me.  Prongs and Padfoot, but you transformed back before I did…" Remus began to pale again, his hands shaking trying to brush his hair out of his face anxiously, "You… I… I…"

It all became too much.  Turning unexpectedly he just barely reached a sink, becoming violently sick at the images that were being replayed in front of his eyes.

Giving a feeble cough and spitting, he began to sob.  "I tore you to pieces.  You were still _alive.  _I couldn't stop myself, and… And… Oh, God help me… I killed you both… God, God, God…"

Remus tried to wipe his mouth, and then sunk to the floor, shoulders shaking and face buried in his arms. "I hadn't felt that scared since…" Remus looked at James.  "Since when I realized you pulled Severus back."

Sirius and James kneeled beside their friend.

"Come on," James said grabbing his arm.  "Let's get out of here."

Remus looked at him.  "Where are we going?"

Sirius grinned.  "Mr. Prongs, I believe that Mr. Moony here could use a little pick-me-up.  How about a mid-week Honeydukes basement raid?"

"I couldn't agree more myself."

"Nothing like a little hooky to make an official Marauder get in a better mood."

Remus began to smile.  "We can't go now, we're supposed to be in class…"

"Mr. Prongs, I do believe that Mr. Moony's memory is failing him.  If I recall correctly there is no professor in class and that it was our last class of the day."

"I believe you're right Mr. Padfoot.  I believe, also, that a celebration is in order for the two contenders for the part of Doctor Henry Jekyll."

"Actually, Mr. Prongs, I believe there is no competition.  I believe that Mr. Moony has the part in the bag.  Next stop Honeydukes!"

Remus could not keep a strait face any longer.  The overdone performance that James and Sirius were putting on was too much.  By the time that the trio had reached the statue of the humpback witch nightmares were the last thing on his mind, and discussions of full moon marauding and the play were in full force.

That Friday evening Remus and Sirius were wishing Lily good luck as she rose from her seat to perform.  James and Peter from under the invisibility cloak (auditions were supposed to be strictly for actors and judges) hissed their well-wishes.

Lily approached the stage and paused pulling out her wand and charming her clothes.

Sirius's jaw dropped as Lily mounted the stage in her costume and smiled seductively at the audience as her song began.

Remus's eyes too widened and he had the distinct impression that James's were even more wide as Lily began to sing with the music that had started up.

"There was a time, I don't know when, I didn't have much time for men.  But this is now and that was then.  I'm learning…"

Sirius leaned towards the apparently empty seat that James and Peter were supposed to be squashed into.  "James, if you ever break up with her I just want to say that I have full dibs."

James was still too shocked to speak, as were the teachers it seemed, however Dumbledore seemed somewhat amused.  Sweet, little, Head Girl Lily, was singing "Bring on the Men"?  And doing an excellent job at that.

Looking around the theater Remus saw that the reaction was the same for most.  Many boys bearing a strong resemblance to fish with their mouths gaping open.  Remus's eyes landed on Severus.  He too was eyeing Lily with a keen eye, a smile beginning to play on his lips as she began to hit the refrain.

"Sooo Leeeeets Briiiiiing on the Men! And let the fun begin, a little touch of sin, why wait another minute?"

James's head suddenly became visible, crouched down, peering between the seats open mouthed at Lily, mouthing wordlessly.

Finally, as he sat back he just shook his head and pulled the cloak back over himself.

Lily's performance went well, after finishing "Bring on the Men" she did a much more subdued act of "In His Eyes" after making sure to charm her costume into something at least modest, more befitting Dr. Jekyll's fiancé Liza, rather than the "Girl of the Night" Lucy.  Soon though Lily was finished and McGonagall called out in a loud voice.  "Lupin, Remus!"

With one last vote of confidence from his comrades Remus began to mount the stage, mentally becoming his characters.  He looked out at the audience, letting his eyes adjust to the harsh lights magically projecting onto the stage.

Taking one last breath, Remus took the plunge.

_"What is this feeling of power and drive_

_I've never known?  I feel alive._

_Where does this feeling of power derive_

_Making me know why I'm alive?"_

Sirius was a bit taken aback.  Remus was doing Hyde's main solo, no small piece of cake, and a rather surprising selection in his opinion for usually meek Remus.__

_"Like the night it's a secret, sinister, dark, and unknown._

_I do not know what I seek yet I'll seek it alone._

_I have a thirst that I cannot deprive_

_Never have I felt so alive._

_There is no battle I couldn't survive,_

_feeling like this, feeling alive!_

_Like the moon an enigma_

_Lost and alone in the night_

_damned by some heavenly stigma,_

_but blazing with light!"_

As the performance continued however James and Sirius exchanged a glance.

_It's the feeling of being alive_

_full of evil, but truly alive_

_it's the truth that cannot be denied_

_It's the feeling of being Edward Hyde._

Sirius whispered, "That's not Remus…"his eyes fixed on Remus as he began to act out the scene of hunting down Lucy.

_"Wait. what's this?  Sweetness, I thought I'd lost you._

_It's fate, what bliss._

_Sweetness, your folly will cost you dear, my dear._

_You'll see, you'll never escape me_

_I'm near, I fear, and you will pay dear, my dear."_

"You're right, it's not Remus.  That's Moony," James finished.__

_"Animals trapped behind bars in their cage_

_need to run rampant and free._

_Predators live by the prey they pursue_

_this time the predator's me!_

_Lost like a raging desire_

_fills my whole soul with its curse_

_burning with primitive fire, berserk and perverse_

_Tonight! I'll plunder heaven blind _

_steal from all the gods _

_Tonight!, I'll take from all mankind_

_Conquer all the odds_

_And I feel I'll live on forever!_

_With Satan himself by my side!_

_and I'll show the world that tonight and forever _

_the name to remember is the name Edward Hyde!_

_What a feeling to be so alive!_

_I have never seen me so alive!_

_Such a feeling of evil inside!_

_That's the feeling of being Edward Hyde!_

_With this feeling of being alive_

_there's a new world I see come alive_

_It's a truth that cannot be denied_

_There's no feeling like being Edward Hyyyyde!"_

            Remus bowed and prepared for his next selection, and James, Sirius, and Peter exchanged another glance.  Looking in the teachers' direction Sirius saw McGonagall mouth to Dumbledore, "Remus is playing Jekyll and Hyde."__


	3. Close Call

Chapter 3  "Close Call"

            The next few weeks were a blur to everyone in the school.  Most people were involved in the play either playing parts or behind the scenes.  James and the rest of the Quidditch teams were training harder than ever.  And everyone was beginning to become overwhelmed with course work.

            However, most people were enjoying themselves too much to notice.  True, Remus was surprised at the amount of work that the play took, but it was a pure escape.  On the stage he was able to become anything he wanted, and everything he feared, without being shunned.  Many people were stunned at the talent "sweet, quiet Remus" had.  This even captured a few of the girls' attention, causing Remus to blush horribly every time Sirius brought up the subject, which was nearly every practice.  Sirius too was lapping up the limelight.  He had won the role of John.  Lily had been cheated of the role of Lucy (that had been given to the Drama Club president) but she was given the understudy role.  James darkly hinted to the other Marauders that the Drama Club president might suffer a case of "food poisoning" the night of the performance.  This however was not at the top of the group's annoyances.  Severus Snape had also won a significant role, that of Stride.  He was also somewhat of a props consultant.  In the scene of Jekyll's transformation into Hyde it was necessary to concoct a liquid that changed from red to a bright white and then to purple.  This was simple enough to figure out, except that obviously the liquid could not have any effect on the drinker, although the group debated whether or not to put some form of Polyjuice into it, so as to actually make Jekyll and Hyde look different.

            Remus hesitated, not keen on the idea of having to turn into someone else onstage.  The idea was finally rejected once someone pointed out that Remus's voice would be altered if he took the Polyjuice.  No one wanted to lose that voice.

            Finally it was, as the others joked "that time of the month" again.  Remus did his homework in advance and made sure that Lily would tell the director (a Ravenclaw seventh year named Diana) that Remus was ill.  James as captain of the Quidditch team canceled practice for the night, telling the team to "take a break and rest up".  Peter was not missed much behind stage; he was mainly in charge of ensuring the light charms did not run out, which they rarely did.  Sirius simply charmed his way out of it… as usual.

            It was later that night that Lily opened the Common Room door for the three Animagi so that they could make it to the Shrieking Shack before the moon rose.

            "Be careful," she hissed as usual.  James had never revealed that the group actually left the Shack, trying to make it seem that they only kept Moony company within it.  Lily, though, knew him too well for that and was in charge of letting the group in and out through the portrait hole without suspicion.  She never slept well knowing that the Marauders were more than ever likely to put themselves in an unwise, if not deadly, situation.

            "Lily, why on Earth do you think we'd be anything but careful?" Sirius joked through the cloak.  "Ow!  James, what was that for?"

            "For being a smart-ass to my girlfriend.  We can take care of ourselves, Lily.  Don't worry."

            And with that the three slipped out, and made their way to the Willow.

            Running up the stairs to the shack the Marauders paused hearing a sudden ear-splitting shriek cut the air.  The scream changed to a blood-chilling howl.

            Sirius glared at Peter.  "Who said 'we had plenty of time'?"

            Peter winced, "Sorry.  I guess I misread the lunar chart."

            "Hey," James interrupted.  "Let's just get up there and transformed before Moony comes sniffing around for us.

            Scrambling out the three transformed as soon as they were into the room, smoothly morphing from humans to the stag, rat, and dog.  Padfoot gave a greeting howl.

            Moony answered, and there was a sudden bounding on the stairs, and the massive wolf tackled the dog, yipping and barking and jumping around like a puppy, too excited for its own good to see friendly faces.

            Padfoot growled, not crossly, giving Moony a dog-grin.

            What occurred next could not be described properly.  It was rough-housing like any other seventeen and eighteen year old boys would participate in, except it was a tangle of fur and Prongs had to be exceptionally careful of his well… prongs.  Wormtail, due to his size, was unable to participate properly but ran around the group.  Upon spotting him, Moony's attention was instantly diverted.  Jumping from the fray he began to chase Wormtail, who took off at a run towards the refuge under a chest of drawers.  Taking the corner too fast Moony tripped over himself but in a split second recovered in hot pursuit.  Prongs and Padfoot took off after him.  Moony might think of the chase as playing, but as evidenced on Padfoot's cut leg, the werewolf's perception of "playing" was a bit warped.

            Padfoot caught up to him first, and jumping between the chest giving Moony a growl, his teeth bared.

            Moony snarled, his fur bristling and yellow eyes narrowing, as he snapped his jaws in warning.

            Padfoot did not back down, pale eyes meeting the golden ones, pure resolve about his position etched in the dog's face.

            Something about that look made the wolf remember something, something that made him know he would regret it horribly if he attacked either the rat or dog before him. He couldn't figure out but nonetheless it made him back down.

            Then, catching a scent in the air that not even Padfoot's nose was aware of, Moony ran to the door and whimpered wanting desperately to go out.

            Taking the doorknob in his mouth, Padfoot twisted the handle.  Moony rushed out howling with Padfoot running after him, blending in his own voice.  Prongs lowered is antlers and allowed Wormtail to climb on, before taking off at a lope after the other two.

            The night passed in relative normality.  Moony found a pixie glen and the entire group chased after the tiny things.  Whenever one was caught though, they would immediately disappear only to reappear only a few feet away giggling wildly.  Prongs had finally succeeded in pinning a pixie into a corner when Wormtail and Padfoot approached, Padfoot whining pitifully.

            Prongs let go of the pixie and looked questioningly at Padfoot and Wormtail.  Finally it hit him.  Moony was nowhere in sight.

            Wormtail got back into Prong's antlers.  Padfoot and Prongs then split up, going in exact opposite directions.  This was the system they had worked out long ago if and when Moony gave them the slip.

            As Sirius ran down the streets he finally caught the scent in the air.  Moony, and… He sniffed again.  People.

            Breaking into a sprint Padfoot followed the scent to the outskirts of Hogsmeade.  He spotted the people, three of them all hooded and their backs turned towards him, talking in hushed tones.  Padfoot did not have time to consider why a group such as this would be out with dawn hours away.  He was searching for Moony.  Finally he spotted him, crouched on the top of small bridge watching the group hungrily.  Watching from a bridge that the group was about to pass under.

            Padfoot howled, desperately trying to warn the group of their plight.  They turned, faces still obscured.  Padfoot ran towards them, and under the bridge, as Moony too howled and pounced.

            Knocking over one of the hooded figures, Padfoot took on Moony.  Bloodlust was burning like fire in the wolf's eyes, and it took every effort too delay him enough to let the trio get away.

            They it seemed were rooted to the spot in morbid fascination and fear.  Padfoot turned and barked trying to say "Get moving!" but as he turned he saw that by knocking over one of the boys it had knocked him into the others, causing their hoods to fall off.  There with mouths agape were the pale faces of Rosier, Malfoy, and Snape.

            The wolf got away for a moment and began to advance on Snape.

            The blood rushing out of his face Snape pulled out his wand.  "You!  Damn you!  Get away from me!"  

Moony was advancing, snarling and foam gathering in his mouth, the full moon reflected in his yellow eyes.

Prongs leapt out, knocking Moony to the ground.  Padfoot pinned the wolf to the ground as the boys finally grabbed Snape by the shoulders and dragged him to his feet, before they ran off into the night.  Moony still growling and howling for blood, but helpless to pursue it.

            Eventually, when not even Padfoot could smell the people any longer, Moony's growls had changed to pleading whines, and the sky was beginning to lighten in the east.  The group made its way back to the Shrieking Shack, however, keeping Moony up to pace was a challenge.  He could sense the transformation coming near and resisted it.

            Soon though another howl ran through the night and the other three where helping Remus back into his robes, which were torn and frayed.  He had not taken them off in time before the change.

            Remus's mind was in a fog and looking at Sirius he noticed his friend's limp.

            "I didn't hurt you, did I?" Remus asked, his voice nearly gone it was so hoarse.

            "Naw," Sirius lied.  "It's just a scratch, probably from one of those bloody pixies."

            Remus looked at Sirius scrutinizing him.  "Pixies?  I thought we went to the brid…" And suddenly Remus's eyes grew wide and his knees gave out.  James caught him and helped him onto the bed.

            "Oh, God, I didn't…?"

            "Nothing happened.  None of them even had a scratch," James reassured Remus.

            Peter was looking around anxiously.  "What if they tell Dumbledore?"

            "We were in our Animagi form, they wouldn't have recognized us," James argued.

            Remus looked at James.  "Snape recognized me."

            There was grave silence after this.  But after a few minutes Sirius grinned.  "He can't turn you in on this one, Moony."

            The other three looked at Sirius quizzically.

            "Think about it.  How could they explain why they were in Hogsmeade in the middle of the night when they were supposed to be at school?"  Sirius's expression darkened considerably.  "I wonder…"

            "It doesn't matter what they were doing," Remus sighed, falling back onto the bed.  "Just so long as none of us are in trouble."  He rolled over to face them.  "You need to be going, before Madam Pomfry comes to take me back to the castle.  Go back through the Honeydukes tunnel, otherwise you might run into her half-way."

            The others nodded and left.


	4. Break a Leg

Chapter 4 "Break a Leg"

            Not one word was spoken about the encounter with the three Slytherins and they too seemed to realize their own danger if they turned in Remus.  However, Remus was beginning to become very leery of Snape.  His hatred of Remus was probably at an all time high between another close call and all the attention Remus was receiving because of the play and it showed.  There was a gleam in Snape's eyes that Remus did not like in the least.

            The weeks passed and as December began play practices began to run much longer as well as more smoothly.

            When Remus received his practice schedule however at breakfast he cursed quietly to himself.  Surprised the others looked up at him, knowing that for him anyway cursing was only used in an extreme situation.

            "What's wrong, Rem?" Sirius asked his mouth full of what Remus assumed used to be a doughnut.

            Remus simply handed Sirius the schedule and deadpanned, "Dress rehearsal is on the full moon."

            "Try and get it rescheduled," James suggested.

            "You can't just reschedule a dress rehearsal!" Remus nearly yelled.

            The others exchanged a glance; it was rare for Remus to be this close to losing his temper.

            Remus sighed, "Sorry.  I…" He paused looking at what must have been an interesting spot on the floor.  "I'll just have to tell Diana that I can't make it.  She can give the understudy the role if she wants."

            "Rem, I doubt she'll do that," Sirius reassured his friend, "You've got half the cast twisted around your little finger."

            There was a long pause.  Remus gave a small laugh, "Funny how often my mother gets ill isn't it?"

            Remus sat on the bed in the Shrieking Shack, looking around and wondering just how much damage he was likely to do tonight.  Diana had accepted Remus's story without question and reassured him that he still had the part, but things were still looking bleak from where Remus sat.  Tomorrow was opening night and he was always drained after a full moon.

            Much less, a full moon without the Marauders.

            They had tried their best but there was just no way around it.  Peter and Sirius had to stay at rehearsal, and James couldn't afford to cancel another practice.

            He shivered and looked through a crack in the boarded window.  A pale light began at the horizon, and trembling turned to violent shaking.  Remus bit his lip until it bleed, trying to hold in the screaming howl welling up inside as bones cracked and morphed.  Suddenly Moony had torn himself out.

            Whirling on the room, he stood there a moment taking in the area with golden eyes.  He howled calling, waiting for an answer from the dog or stag, even the rat.

            But none came.

            Mournful howls soon gave way to growling and cries of pain.  He ran through the house tearing any furniture he could find to shreds.  The smell of humans lingered there still, but he could not find them.  Finally the bloodlust took over, and Moony turned on himself.

            Remus woke the next morning, cold and shivering on the floor.  Madam Pomfry was next to him forcing something down his raw throat.  He drank, not caring where he was or what had happened.  Whatever it was that Pomfry was saying was not quite registering, something about her wondering if the stress of the play made the transformation worse.  That he hadn't had one this bad in quite a while.

            He blinked trying to pull on robes over his aching body, even as cuts healed.  He gasped himself when he finally caught sight of his reflection in the shattered mirror nearby.  Bites nearly covered his arms and the claw marks across his face were only just healing.  He could barely put his feet on the ground and his hands still bleed slightly.  Bloody paw prints covered the ground around the shards that had fallen out of the mirror.  His hair was matted with blood and dirt, the shadows clearer than ever under his cool-gray eyes.

            "Perhaps the play tonight is not such a good idea…" Madam Pomfry was saying.

            "What?!"  Remus whirled.  "No!  I… Madam Pomfry, I _have_ to be in that play!"

            Madam Pomfry looked at Remus and shook her head.  Remus knew that his cuts were already healing, the bad ones leaving their new scars of course, but he knew that he could heal faster than any of the nurse's other patients.  She could not keep him from doing the play if he really wanted to.

            And apparently she knew this too.  Heaving a sigh she looked at Remus again.  "Let's just see how you're feeling tonight."

            That night Remus was pacing back stage reading over the script one last time, occasionally taking a sip of the potion Pomfry had forced him to take with him to keep his strength up.  Others ran about getting their make up on, sets being rearranged, Snape was doing something with the chemicals for Dr. Jekyll's laboratory set.

            Remus had barely noticed any of these things however and his pacing actually caused him to walk right by Snape, who turned away from the chemicals to face him.

            "You know why they gave that part to you, Lupin," Snape spat.

            Lupin tried to pretend he had not heard him, and began to mouth the words of the script to himself.

            Severus however knew better, and walked continued to speak.

            "They gave it to you because you're a damned creature of the night.  They pity you, the soulless creature who's better off dead." Snape laughed mirthlessly, "The _true_ Edward Hyde."  Snape mock bowed in Remus's direction.  

"No wolf can hide forever, Lupin.  Perform tonight, and people might start to catch on."

Remus was trying to ignore it, forcing his temper back, no matter how badly he wanted to lash out.  If he ever did, it would only prove Severus's point.

Diana called, "Five minutes!"

Getting up to go to his area on stage Remus acted as if Snape hadn't said anything out of the ordinary.  Smiling, he met Snape's gaze and said sincerely, "Break a leg, Severus."

            And Remus walked on stage, leaving Snape with a muscle going in his face, unable to think of a comeback.

The play was going flawlessly; no one was missing cues or forgetting lines.  The only thing Diana found to criticize was that the set changes needed to occur faster, but no doubt this would become easier as the play preformed more.

Finally, Remus came to the scene that Remus was the most nervous about.  Once he did this he had no doubt everything else would go smoothly but it still caused the butterflies to begin flitting around his stomach.  The transformation.

Remus began, pretending to write in the stage journal before him.

"September thirteenth, eleven fifty-six P.M.," he began.

"I have started this alone, and I must finish it, alone. There is no longer a choice. I know that I must use myself as the subject of the experiment," taking a shaky breath, Remus put down the pen and began mixing the chemicals, trying to remember the proper combination to get the color change needed while singing.

_            "No, there is no choice.  I must put aside the fears I feel inside_

_            There's no place to hide_

_            So it comes to this one last final chance that only I can take._

_            Now everything I've fought for is at stake_

_            Like a warning light, glimmering in red,_

_            Like crimson bloodshed, shimmering in red,_

_            Beautiful and strange, see the colors change before my eyes._

_            See how they dance and they sparkle, like diamonds at night._

_            Leading me out of the darkness and into the light."_

            Remus watched, the colors shifted from the ruby red, to a near blinding white, to a dark indigo purple.  For half a second Remus thought that he must have added too much of one of the chemicals considering it looked darker than usual, but considering it did not matter that much, he drained the glass.

            Something was wrong, he knew it the moment the liquid touched his lips.  It was horribly bitter and nearly scalding hot, certainly not the bubbly strawberry flavored glass he drank nearly every practice, but it was already down his throat, and there was nothing left to do but let the show go on.

            Returning to the supposed journal, he began again.

"11:58 P.M.

            Consumed 10 centiliters of formula H.J. seven.  Salty, bitter taste, stings the tongue, warm in the gullet, heat spreading strongly through my veins."

Remus had to pause.  He was beginning to feel sick, he felt like something was tugging at his mind and bones, for a split second he thought of the moon, but shoved the thought out of his mind, trying to concentrate on his lines again, before anyone noticed that the pause was not supposed to be there.  "Slight feeling of euphoria, light-headedness, no noticeable behavioral differences."

He blinked, trying to clear his vision as it blurred for a second.  Swallowing with difficulty he continued.

Backstage though Lily looked at Sirius, concerned.

"Is he alright?  He's as pale as death."

Sirius's eyes were riveted on Remus.  "I don't know, but he hasn't signaled me.  He's supposed to tug his hair if he's forgot a line or fells sick 'cause of last night."

_            "I must be wise_

_I must try to analyze each change in me._

_            Everything I see, how will it be?_

_            Will I see the world through different eyes?_

_            Now the die is cast, nothing left to do,_

_            Time alone can prove my theory's true,_

_            Show the world…"_

Remus trailed off allowing himself to begin act out the transformation.

_            "My God… What's this? Something is happening, I can't explain,_

_            Something inside me, a breathtaking pain, devours and consumes me, and drives me insane!"_

Oh, God, God, Remus thought, and reached up pulling at his hair with both hands.  He could feel the wolf, inside struggling to come roaring out, with a shove of self will he forced him back inside.

_            "AARRRRGGGGGGGAAAAA!"_

Sirius didn't look at Lily, his eyes wide on Remus, knowing something horrible was going on. "Get Madam Pomfry."

            Somehow Remus was able to keep the beast down enough to keep on.

_            "Suddenly, uncontrolled,_

_            Something is taking hold,_

_            Suddenly, agony!  Filling me!  Killing me?_

_            Suddenly, out of breath, what is this?  Is this death?"_

Remus fell behind the table, on purpose of course, mussing up his hair and forcing himself into character before rising again to face the audience as Edward Hyde.

_            "Suddenly… _

_Look at me…_

_Can it be?!  _

_Who is this… _

_Creature, that I see?_

_            Free!"_

            The scene went dark as Hyde's laughter still filled the stage.

            As people rushed around changing the set, Remus and Sirius somehow found each other.

"Are you all right?" Sirius asked, speaking in hushed tones.

Remus shook his head.  "There was something in the drink.  It was a potion!"

"What?"

"I don't know what it was, but God, I think Moony's trying to get out, Sirius."

Sirius was confused but sensing the urgency in his friends voice tried to help.  "What do you need me to do?"

"Get Pomfry and Dumbldore.  I think I can make it through the rest of the act.  If I can't I'll pull my hair again."

"Consider it done."

"Get off stage, Sirius.  John's not in this scene."

"Be careful, Remus."

The lights came back on.  Remus never knew how he did it but he somehow survived through act one.  The second it was over he collapsed into a chair back stage, trying to explain what had happened to his knowledge, Sirius and Lily beside him.

"I think I can get through the play," Remus said.  He met Sirius's concerned gaze.  Sirius cursed horribly and his eyes went wide.

"Remus!  Look at your eyes!"

"What is it?" Remus asked for the first time taking the effort to look the others fully in the face.  "What's wrong?"

Pomfry gasped, and even Dumbledore's eyes widened.  Lily conjured a pocket mirror and handing it to Remus he looked.

Remus was rendered speechless.  He had never seen these eyes before and when he had… it was like a long ago nightmare.  Still though, staring right back at him were not his own cool granite eyes, but the shining yellow one's of a wolf.

"Two minutes!" Remus heard called.

Pomfry forced the rest of the strengthening potion on Remus, who took it and was relieved to find it made it easier to keep himself under control; also, the gold partially receded from his eyes.  Dumbledore sent for Professor Arrow, the potions master, to inspect what was left of the liquid and see what could be done.

Remus was making it through the performance without a single sign that anything was wrong when Arrow looked up from the chemicals.

"Are you sure this is what he drank?"

Pomfry and Dumbledore nodded.

Arrow shook her head.  "This… he should be dead if he drank this.  I've never seen this combination in my life.  Silver nitrate, aconite, God only knows what else… Aconite is a deadly poison to anyone who eats it, much less Remus."

"Wolfsbane," Dumbledore breathed.

Arrow nodded.  "This would kill a normal person.  I have no idea what it will do to Remus, much less how to make an antidote."

"How did this happen?" Pomfry asked worried.

Dumbledore looked into the shadows where a figure stood, watching, only his eyes reflected in the light.  "Severus, can you please explain what happened?"

Snape strode out and approached the table.  He examined the various bottles and powders.  After a moment he turned and appearing surprised exclaimed, "The bottles must have shifted when the set was being moved.  See?  Here are the ones he was supposed to use."  Snape gestured towards the bottles in the back, almost out of sight, but there, nonetheless.  "The rest were just for decoration."

Dumbledore searched Snape's eyes but then sighed and turned back to the table.  "Jenna, what else can we do?"

Professor Arrow shook her head.  "Nothing.  If I give him a bezoar it won't react well with the other chemicals, probably do more harm than good.  We just have to wait it out.  Maybe Remus can fight it off."

"How likely is that?" Dumbledore asked.

Arrow shook her head.  "It'll take a miracle."

Snape at this point had walked off, ready for his cue.

"Is your costume all right, Severus?" Diana asked.

"Yes."

"It's not itchy or anything?  You were rubbing your arm like it was."

"No, no.  It's fine."

"Good, now hurry up!  It's nearly you're cue."

The scene went dark and Snape walked out onto the stage, as did Sirius and many of the other characters.  It was the final scene, Jekyll and Lisa's wedding day.

Jekyll and Lisa danced happily spinning around the floor, when Jekyll broke away approaching John.

"Henry, what is it?" John-Sirius asked.

Jekyll-Remus looked back up at Sirius, his eyes pleading.  Sirius wondered suddenly if this was acting or not, as yellow began to creep in around Remus's pupils.

"Don't make a fuss.  Terrible pain, get me out of here.  Need to breathe… ooohhhh…" Remus grabbed his hair again, with both hands.

Sirius didn't know what else to do except pray that Remus could make it through the next five minutes of the play.

"Oh, My God…"

_"Oh, God, what now? Oh, God, not now.  _

_Help me somehow, please take the pain away!  _

_Please, God, will me somehow to fight and pray.  _

_Don't let her see!  Not on our wedding day!"  _

Remus nearly howled the last line falling to the floor, breathing heavily and grinding his teeth, Jekyll transforming into Hyde.

On cue, Lisa approached who she believed to be her husband, Jekyll."Henry?"

"There is no Henry.  Only Hyde!"  And Hyde-Remus jumped up, grinning horribly at Lisa.

"Look at this monster, Lisa!" Stride-Snape called.

"And what would you have done with her, Stride?  Put her up in one of your Camden town whorehouses and rented her out to selling a time?"

"Damn you, Jekyll, enough!"

"Enough indeed.  End. Of. Game!"

Lisa ran a few steps before Hyde caught up to her, gabbing her violently.

"We seem to be married, my love.  Ready for our bridal bed are you?"

John-Sirius raised the prop gun, pointed at Hyde.  "Henry, stay back!  Don't touch her!  I beg you. Stop.  Stop now."

Remus's yellow eyes simply stared back at Sirius's blue ones.  John fired two shots and Hyde hit the ground.  Lisa screamed and dropped down to face the person who once was her true love.

"Henry!  Oh, God, Henry!"

"Lisa, no!  Stay back!" John called.

"Henry, it's me.  If this is you, show me." Lisa begged.

Seizing Lisa by the neck Hyde rose again. "ARGA!  Stay!  Or she dies!"

"Henry!  I know you can hear me.  Henry, let me go, Henry.  Please, let me go, for us. Please."  Lisa whispered.

Remus turned to Lisa, Hyde's expression softening, and when he turned to John the voice was that of Jekyll's, and the eyes a bizarre mix of gold and silver.

"Do it, John.  I beg you.  Set me free!" Jekyll pleaded.

"I can't, Henry."  John answered.  Sirius fought back tears.

"We promised, remember?"

John paused. "Forgive me."

And he shot, four times.  

Bang. 

Bang. 

Bang. 

Bang.  

Hyde fell to the ground, and as he lay there whispered, his voice gradually changing to Jekyll's and fading.

"Lisa, Lisa…Lisa…a…"

"Sh.  Go to sleep, my tormented love," Lisa soothed.

Remus shut his eyes and the curtain fell as Jekyll breathed his last.

A/N:  Horrible cliffhanger, I know.  But I will update a.s.a.p., only one more chapter to go!


	5. Contracts Null and Void

Chapter 5 "Contracts Null and Void"

            "Remus, Remus, come on, get up." Sirius hissed at Remus who still lay on the stage.

            He didn't move.

            "Remus?"  Sirius could feel panic beginning to set in.  "Remus?  Wake up, the play's over.  Remus?!"

            Pomfry and Dumbledore ran over, conjuring a stretcher and began to lead Remus away towards the hospital wing.  Sirius grabbed Arrow as she passed.

            "Professor Arrow, where are they taking Remus?"

            "The hospital wing."

            "Did you find an antidote for whatever he drank?"

            Arrow paused and then looking at Sirius with tears in her eyes shook her head.  "Sirius, there's nothing we can do…"

            "No… No…" Sirius's eyes were wide and he backed away from Arrow as if she were mad.

            "It was a pure chemical accident… Just the wrong chemicals in the wrong place…." Arrow tried to explain.

            Something changed in Sirius's eyes.  "A chemical accident?"

            Arrow nodded, "Sirius, I'm so sorry…"

            But Sirius was already gone.

            WHAM!

            Snape hit the floor of the empty dressing room.  Sirius stood over him, face livid, as Snape wiped blood from his nose.

            "What the Hell did you give Remus!?!"

            Snape glared and did not answer.

            Sirius kicked him hard.  Severus winced and coughed.  "The stupid git got the chemical's confused, don't blame me for his own stupidity, Black."

            "Oh, I blame you.  You fixed it so Remus wouldn't be able to tell the difference!  Those powders looked identical and you knew it!"

            "Prove it," Snape sneered, a smirk creeping into his expression.

            Black's face contorted as he pulled out his wand and for one moment Snape was certain that he was going to be cursed into oblivion, but Black grabbed Snape by the Slytherin tie he had just put on.  As red and black sparks flew into Snape's face, Black breathed, "You're coming with me."

            Sirius burst into the Hospital Wing, Snape still in tow.  Remus was lying motionless on the bed, Lily, James, and Peter already there.  Dumbledore and Madam Pomfry sat somewhat removed from the rest of the group.

            They turned to look at Sirius when Remus's eyes snapped open, yellow and blazing.

            "Remus!" Sirius yelled with relief seeing his friend wake.

            Remus snarled and glared at Sirius, muscles tensing.

            Snape took advantage of Sirius's shock and tried to flee from the room only to be blocked by Lily as Remus leapt towards Sirius, hands like claws, ripping the skin on Sirius's cheek.

            Sirius yelled and threw Remus off.

            "Remus!  It's me!  Sirius!"

            "Remus, what are you doing?!" James yelled.

            Remus turned on James, bloodlust burning in his eyes and approached James.

            "Stupefy!" Dumbledore yelled.

            Remus froze.

            "Get him back on the bed," Dumbledore ordered and James and Peter complied.  

Sirius sunk into a chair.  Raising a hand to his face stared in shock at the blood on his hands.  "My God… he attacked me."

Pomfry was trying to examine Remus, who appeared to be recovering from the Stupefy attack, and although unable to move his arms or legs began to growl threateningly.  A hand twitched and Remus made a move to Pomfry's arm, barely missing.  Unable to reach the blood around him Remus dug his nails into his own skin, howling.

"Get him tied down!  If he doesn't hurt someone he'll hurt himself!"  Pomfry ordered.

Looking in loss at one another Sirius suddenly reached over and violently tore off Severus's necktie, binding his friend's left wrist to the bed away from the rest of his body.  Catching on James, Lily, and Peter took off their ties as well binding the other arm, both feet together and he shoulders to the bed.  Sirius was still in costume and did not have a tie to offer.

            Pomfry looked at Dumbledore.  "What are we supposed to do?"

            Dumbledore sighed, looking much older, and as he looked at his students he muttered, "All we can do is wait, and hope.  I must write to Mr. and Mrs. Lupin however."  Dumbledore walked out.

            Pomfry looked at the other children.  "You best leave.  There's nothing you can do."

            "No!" James nearly yelled.  "We aren't going to leave him like this!"

            The others (except Snape of course) nodded in agreement.

            Madam Pomfry looked at the group, even as Remus whined and growled on the bed, beginning to thrash, trying to free himself but unable to do so.

            Her gaze landed on Sirius.  "Dear, I just don't want Remus to harm any of you…"

            "That's not Remus."  Sirius proclaimed.  "That's just the wolf's mind in Remus's body.  And I'm not leaving."

            Madam Pomfry shook her head at a loss at what else to do.  "All right then."

            With one final glare at Remus Severus walked out, leaving behind the rest, without so much as blinking.

            "What did you do to that old wolf?" Lucius asked, nonchalantly as Snape entered the dormitory.

            "You don't know I did anything," Snape responded, lying down on his own bed.  "The idiot got the ingredients confused, now the wolf's mind and bloodlust is in a human body."

            "Face it, this has your name written all over it, Severus," Lucius scolded but then smiling added, "And it's brilliant."

            Snape looked at his roommate, confused.

            "That had to have taken brains, Severus.  With a mind like that you can really make something of yourself.  People will fear you."

            Snape smiled sadistically to himself.  "Really."

            "Power, fame, a place in the New Order."

            Lestrange across the room laughed.  "The people who get places in the New Order are the one's who survive.  Power, that's what I'd be concerned with."

            "Couldn't agree more," Lucius added.  "Its survival of the fittest.  No weaklings like Evans or Lupin."

            "Evans?" Snape asked glancing up.

            "Lily, you idiot.  Damned Mudblood."

            Severus's eyes narrowed, but said nothing.  Never ever tell others your weakness, first lesson of being with these Slytherins.  The second one being…

            Roisier was speaking now, "'Survival of the fittest.'  I like that.  Do what it takes to make sure you come out all right in the end.  Really, who gives a damn about the rest?"

            The next few days were pure torture to the Marauders.  Remus made no sign of recovery or recognition.  He would only howl and whine, thrashing about on the bed he was still tied to, tearing the sheets and the palms of his hands, not taking food or drink, only focused on blood.  The school was told that Remus was fighting a poison from the "accident" with the props, and although they knew he was in peril they did not realize he had lost his mind to the beast within.

            James and Sirius were only persuaded back to the dormitories after two days had passed and at the Headmaster's insistence.

            "It was Snape, I know it!" Sirius yelled.  "But the little bastard covered his tracks too well for the school to do anything!  The Ministry doesn't give a…"

            "Sirius…" James tried to soothe Sirius, knowing that even in the safety of the dormitory it was likely others could hear at the volume Sirius was yelling at and considering it was midnight, they were likely to receive detention if they disturbed the other students.

            "The Ministry's not going to do anything either!  They've all got that damn prejudice!  It doesn't make any sense!  Remus wouldn't hurt anyone!  And they still don't care!  And we… I can't do anything to help."  Sirius finally after three days broke down.

            James too had tears in his eyes, sitting beside Sirius he tried to reassure him as much as himself.  "Sirius, if anyone can get out of this its Remus."

            "And if he doesn't?"

            James paused, steely.  "We give Snape a taste of his own medicine."

In the hospital wing though, Remus stirred.  Laying there, knowing he was awake, even though he longed to fall back into the escape of sleep.  His mind was foggy and he felt as though he had just been through a transformation, but his bones didn't ache the way they should have.

Trying to clear his head, he attempted to raise his hand to his eyes.

He couldn't.

His eyes snapped open, and took in the scene of his legs and arms and even shoulders bound down with what appeared to be an assortment of neckties.  Everything about the play rushed back at once, right up until he passed out, then only images ran through his mind just like any transformation, choppy, the line between reality and hallucinations blurred, including one he knew must have happened in the past hour.  Someone pouring a burning liquid down his throat.

At a loss to explain it he glanced again at his bounds wondering if he could untie them.  Then he noticed it, the tie binding his left arm was not red and gold like the rest.  It was green and silver.

"About time you woke up, Lupin."

Remus jumped, and looking to his far left saw just at the edge of his vision the unmistakable figure of Severus Snape.

He stepped in front of the bed in full view of Lupin, glaring at him.

"Say something intelligible if you think you can handle that," Snape commanded.

"I believe I can," Lupin responded in a horse voice.

Snape nodded somewhat approvingly.

"Am I dreaming?" Remus asked, still unable to clear all the fog from his mind.

"It doesn't matter if you are or not," Snape said, and then more to himself as he surveyed Lupin, "There shouldn't be any residual effects," he commented and then giving a curt nod began to leave.

"Wait!" Remus called.

Snape paused but did not turn around.

"You're the one who gave me the antidote weren't you?" Remus asked.

Severus did not respond.

"And the one who gave me the poison… what was that?"

"You are in no state to proclaim what I may or may not have done."

"If you hadn't given me a the cure would I…?"

"You would have been like that for the rest of your life."

Remus looked at Severus with new eyes.  "Then why did you save me, if you're so willing to say that being a werewolf is the same as being damned anyway?  A…" Remus tried to remember from his fits Severus's exact words.  "'A damned creature of the night, who's better off dead," that I've sold my soul?"

Severus turned around and leaning right into Lupin's face he breathed, "Let me ask you this.  Do you think that you have a soul?"

Remus nodded, not sure what Snape was playing at, or why that mad glint was in his eye.

Then Snape whispered.  "Do you think I have one?"

"Everyone does."

"What if you've sold it?"

Remus grinned suddenly overcome with the urge to be a smart-ass, "Rip up the contract."

Some kind of explosion seemed to happen to that glint in Snape's eyes.  Ripping up his left sleeve he showed the Dark Mark, plain as day on his arm.

"You tell me that hasn't destroyed my soul, and that contract can be ripped up," he hissed.

Remus stared in shock as Severus continued.

"You see, Lupin, you aren't the only one with the dark side, with a secret.  I'm as damned as you are."

Lupin looked at Snape suddenly, his voice somewhat steely.  "You're wrong there.  No sin is beyond redemption, if you want it.  If you work for it."

Snape stood, letting his sleeve drop again, looking at Remus, who had allowed his head to drop back onto the pillow in exhaustion.

Severus continued to stare and looked around the room and rubbed his arm unconsciously.

"I can't do that, not the way you have," Severus whispered, not looking at Lupin.

Lupin shook his head.  "I think you've started already, Severus."

Snape looked at Remus questioningly.

Remus met his eyes and said in his usual logical voice.  "You didn't have to give me that antidote."

            Snape paused, apparently thinking hard.  He gave Remus one last look, his black eyes glittering in a way that Remus had never seen before.  Then, before Remus had time to read too much into the look, Snape walked out, not saying a word to Lupin.

            Remus fell into his first peaceful sleep for quite a while.

            The next morning things returned to relative normality.  Apparently the entire school was relieved to hear of Lupin's recovery; the Marauders were overjoyed.  Madam Pomfry and Professor Arrow were at a loss to explain it, and decided in the end that Remus's own immune system had fought off the poison.

            Remus himself tried to believe that story, especially considering that Severus's attitude towards him and the rest had not changed one jolt, but about two weeks later after one particularly bad prank pulled by Sirius on Professor McGonagall, Remus was called in to tell his side of the story.  As he walked the stairs to Dumbledore's office, Severus passed, apparently on his way out, clutching his left forearm a look of fierce determination that Remus had never seen there before etched on his face.  Both stopped dead, looking at the other.

            "Keep moving, Lupin," Snape spat.

            Remus shrugged and continued his climb, and Severus his descent.

            "Lupin," Snape barked after only a few steps.

            Remus sighed and didn't bother to turn around, knowing that some snide comment was about to come his way.

            But that wasn't the case at all.  "You'd be surprised how easy it is to determine a contract as null and void," Snape deadpanned, cryptically.

            Remus's eyes widened, but as he turned around the last thing he saw was Severus's black cape flipping around the corner.

The End__


End file.
